Read at the Bunderstreffen, 22 June 1996, Stuttgart, Germany

I want to extend warm greetings from the people of North Dakota
to the Germans from Russia community in Germany, in Ukraine, and
throughout the former Soviet Union.

The heritage of North Dakota includes the many wonderful contributions
of the Germans from Russia who settled the Dakota prairies beginning
in the 1870s. The sons and daughters of these German-Russian immigrants
have made important contributions to North Dakota's past, present
and future.

North Dakota's rich agricultural history can be attributed to
the early German-Russian homesteaders who broke the soil and planted
their crops.

In June, Germans from Russia who live in North Dakota and throughout
America join the historic tours, Journey to the Homeland: Germany
and Ukraine, sponsored by the North Dakota State University Libraries.
They will visit the ancestral villages of their forefathers. The
Americans will walk the streets where their parents and grandparents
once lived in the Black Sea and Bessarabian German villages.

On behalf of the State of North Dakota and the North Dakota State
University Libraries, I am pleased to present the official flag
in honor of our pioneer heritage. May future generations of Germans
from Russia continue to have the achievements of our ancestors,
who have created a better future in North Dakota and North America.

Sincerely,

Edward T. Schafer
Governor

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